A Little Less Conversation
by ingrid-matthews
Summary: *SLASH* (Clark/Lex) A post-Heat fic. Hammocks, fear, heat, lust and happiness.


A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION

By ingrid

~*~

The rain hadn't let up for two days straight. 

No one was complaining, at least not in Clark's house. His mother could bake again without grumbling, his dad could stop standing guiltily in front of an open refrigerator while pretending to look for beers and Clark well, he could pretend the last awful week had all been an illusion, a fever dream of sorts. Just another terrible nightmare.

The kind of nightmare someone might have about being trapped in a jungle, sweating through the brush, lions and tigers sniffing for blood not to mention the lionesses hunting you down like so much tasty meat. They could sneak up on you when you least expected it, those wily predators of the night, the female of the species being the deadliest of them all.

Clark wanted to hide under his blanket at the mere thought of them.

But here, in his cozy barn, resting sleepily on his hammock, with the rain pouring down across the vast fields outside his window, all danger seemed very distant and surreal. 

There was a cool breeze coming in from the north. Clark pretended to shiver and hunkered down even further beneath the crimson blanket he'd spread over himself, more for creature comfort than warmth. Because neither heat nor cold affected Clark anymore and that was scary too, almost as scary as being able to melt things with a glance. 

Sometimes he wondered what was coming next, but most of the time it was easier to snooze on the hammock and imagine he was just an ordinary guy, with ordinary fears and let the coolness wash over him like it meant something.

This was the sort of dream he preferred.

Footsteps echoed up the loft staircase and Clark smiled, knowing who it was without looking. 

Because no one, absolutely no one, walked like Lex Luthor. 

"Hey, Clark." Lex stood over the hammock, looking cool and comfortable again in his long black layers. 

It was a comforting sight, the best sign of normalcy yet. For even Lex, with all his great and graceful strength, could wilt in overpowering heat and last week's wave nearly killed him. 

Nearly, but Clark wasn't about to let that happen. He could accept his invulnerability when it counted, especially where Lex was concerned. Saving Lex, time after time, was possibly the easiest thing in the world.

"Hey, Lex." Clark rose halfway, but Lex motioned for him to stay where he was.

"Don't get up. You look too comfortable." 

"And you look beat." Clark wriggled over to the far edge of the hammock, steadying himself with a hand against the barn wall to keep from tipping over. He patted the empty space beside him. "Come on, take a load off. Plenty of room."

Lex hesitated, then carefully climbed in. Slowly lowered himself onto his back and grimaced when his head came to rest on the thin fringed pillow. He folded his arms primly over his chest, doing an eerie imitation of a corpse in a coffin. A keenly suffering corpse.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked, concerned. He tucked the blanket in around them both. "You look like you're hurting." 

"I ran out of painkillers," Lex winced. He looked paler than usual. "Unfortunately, I'm still a bit toasty on the backside."

"Jeez, Lex. Come 'mere." A quick shift and Lex was lying comfortably on his side; arm slung over Clark's middle, head resting on the broad shoulder. "There. Is that better?"

Lex looked abashed for a moment, but he settled in quickly enough. "Yeah. A lot. Thanks."

'You're welcome." Moments of companionable silence followed, with heavy rain pattering against the old barn roof. Clark wondered if that was distant thunder he heard or if the flash on the far horizon was lightning. 

He hoped so. A fall thundershower was just what everyone needed. 

Clark watched as Lex stared off into space, contemplating something. He'd looked so much wiser, so in control -- so happy -- at the wedding and now, all of that was gone. His wary guard was back up, as were the poorly hidden insecurities Clark could see as easily as if looking through a wall with his x-ray vision.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" Clark asked quietly. "About what happened with you and Desiree?"

A small shrug. "Not too much to tell. Oldest con game in the book, albeit with slightly new twist. I should have seen it coming a mile away and made a run for it, but ..."

"But what? How did she reel you in? You're usually so on your guard."

"I try to be, and normally, I wouldn't have gotten that close. These conferences are notorious for attracting a certain type of woman, but " Lex grimaced. "I guess I'm a sucker for someone who says they've arrived on this planet to save me."

Clark stiffened with discomfort. "Oh. Right."

"Guess I need to stick to the person whose actions speak louder than words," said Lex, with a soft laugh. He burrowed in closer to Clark's chest, sighing against the red T-shirt with a noise that sounded an awful lot like contentment. 

Such warm breath, *right there* and Clark shut his eyes. Just in case. 

Because things were starting to shift around a little on the inside, here and there and everywhere, and Clark couldn't afford to take any chances. Lex really didn't need to be set on fire more than once in his lifetime.

Easier said than done, however. Swallowing suddenly became a problem. Breathing, not so much, but the difficulty level was rising. Warmth no, heat everywhere Lex touched, and Clark grew nervous.

At least that's what it felt like. Yes, nerves, that was it. 

Lex's hand started to move in smooth circles over Clark's stomach, as if trying to soothe the overeager butterflies within. Unfortunately, the touches had the exact opposite effect and Clark's fingers dug through the hammock's weave, squeezing the twice-twined hemp between his knuckles, wishing it could cut him or hurt him or something. 

Anything. "Lex? Um, do you think we should talk some more about "

Lex looked up, eyes half-lidded, but not with sleep. "Honestly, Clark? I think I could use a little less conversation. I'm just about talked out." He smiled kindly. "I think we both are. Aren't we?"

With that there was another shift, this one resulting in Lex's length sprawled out atop of Clark's, their legs entwined, noses practically bumping. The hammock swung, then settled into a slow rock, with Clark trying to inhale on every sway. His fingers were stuck, tangled, and Lex's thigh was right where it shouldn't be no, should be and God, it felt so *right.* 

So hot and sweet and right.

Light fingers stroked his cheeks, his brow his lips and Clark kept his eyes tightly shut. He knew if he saw Lex's face, there might be a sudden fire. 

Hell, there might be a nuclear explosion.

"You know how I feel about you, don't you?"

Whispered against his lips and Clark gulped for air. "Uh " 

"Have I told you how sorry I am about what happened? That it'll never happen again?" 

"Lex, you don't have to be mmmph."

Warm kisses then, gentle demanding too. Lex's soft tongue in his mouth, licking the insides of his cheeks, darting in and out, mimicking things that reminded Clark of flames and desire and scorched filmstrips. 

He gasped when Lex pulled away, only to moan when he felt the heat against his throat, his jaw his ear. A tongue flicked out to lick at Clark's earlobe, sending a jolt of fire straight down to his groin. He arched shamelessly against Lex's leg, his traitorous body ignoring the obvious danger.

If this kept up, he was going to set the whole world ablaze.

He heard Lex's voice, raw, next to his ear. "Open your eyes, Clark."

"Lex " he croaked.

"Please. Look at me."

No. That was the one thing he couldn't do. "You said passion was dangerous," Clark gasped desperately, his eyes squeezed shut. "You said you were giving up on it."

"Do you want me to?" Lex sounded so sad again. Weary. Defeated.

Such an awful sound, and Clark couldn't stand it. He turned toward the wall and opened his eyes a crack. Nothing. Opened them a little more. Still nothing, and he took a deep breath before glancing at Lex quickly, blinking rapidly.

Lex snatched his chin and held him there. "Clark, please look me in the eye and tell me this is something you want. Because if it isn't "

Still nothing, and maybe he could do this without destroying Lex. Or himself. Or the world. "Is it what you want?"

"Yes, very much so." Gravely. "But I want a lot of things, maybe some things I shouldn't have and I'm not as confident in my self-control as I used to be. But yes, I want this you very much. I can only hope you feel the same way."

"Yeah," Clark breathed, staring into Lex's eyes, wondering why he was ever afraid. Why he ever doubted. "I do."

The wariness on Lex's face fell away. He looked open and relaxed -- and happy -- again. He nuzzled Clark's neck with a sigh. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?"

Clark leaned into the touch, his eyes shut again, but this time because he wanted just to feel to enjoy. "Don't say that," he whispered, because it was embarrassing and it couldn't be true, or at least he didn't dare think it was. He didn't know if he could survive it.

"Why? Don't you like the truth, Clark?"

A protest rose, then died, on Clark's lips as Lex took them again, this time without hesitation. It was blazing and sweet and somewhere in the back of Clark's mind he remembered how forest fires were a good thing a cleansing thing. A fresh new start for a world that had grown too tangled and complicated for its own good.

There was simplicity in fire.

Simplicity in him and Lex and maybe, just maybe, they could build something that would grow past the unpredictable flames. 

Maybe.

~*~

fin


End file.
